English Department World Book Day Trip to Harry Potter Studios, London

On Friday 26th April we went to Harry Potter Studios to see all the movie sets and props. I really enjoyed it there, especially the part where we walked through the forbidden forest and saw Buckbeak. What I found really interesting is how they made the prosthetics of the goblins at Gringotts. One of my favourite movie sets was Diagon Alley as it was incredibly detailed. We got to see the Hogwarts Express and the Gryffindor common room, and I really liked the giant dragon by the main entrance. – GL, year 8 student

While my brother and I were growing up, my mum would read one of the Harry Potter novels aloud to us each year. She would only read one in order to recreate the experience she had growing up when the novels were still being released. I loved the trip to Harry Potter World and I found it an immersive experience. I enjoy seeing all of the costumes. Hermione’s ball gown was really impressive – the needlework was so intricate and Emma Watson must have been so tiny. It was also amazing to see the goblin masks which were used in the film. I was fascinated by the process of how they were made. The Dragon Experience in Gringotts’ Bank was fun too. The projection of the dragon was very realistic and actually scary, even though I knew it wasn’t real! The Forbidden Forest was another great attraction and some of the adults were frightened. At the end, we had a great time in the gift shop and I bought a Hermione Granger time turner necklace. – Year 9 student